I saw this evening along the edge of one of our ponds a GREEN HERON waiting
just feet from the SOLITARY SANDPIPER which has been here for the last two
weeks. There were also 5 WOOD DUCKS and 2 CANADA GEESE (with nest).
A walk at 7 pm along the stream below the monastery was rich with the song of
birds including:
WOOD THRUSH 4
BLACK-THR. BLUE WARBLER 3
CERULEAN WARBLER 15
YELLOW-RUMPED 12
BLACK-THR. GREEN 8
BLACK&WHITE 8
REDSTART 5
WORM-EATING 6
OVENBIRD 10
HOODED 9
SCARLET TANAGER 4
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK
PURPLE FINCH
This afternoon while several of us were laying stone on our belltower I saw 2
RING-BILLED GULLS fly over. About 2 hours later we were shocked to see an F-15
on fire appear from the west, flying down the ridge as they often do on
low-level training missions, about 300 feet above the monastery, obviously out
of control, and then when it was immediately above the tower the plane banked
sharply to the right and the two pilots ejected (safely we later heard) and
parachuted into the trees of the farmer below our mountain. The fighter jet
plowed into the next ridge east from the monastery and sent up a huge column of
smoke for the better part of an hour.
Thank God nobody was injured in this incredible accident.
Father John
Blue Ridge Parkway
Franklin County
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